Lever handle for safe locks



Nov. 3, .1925.

. 1,560,504 W. F. DOENGES LEVER HANDLE FOR SAFE LOCKS Filed July 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet; l

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1,560,504 w. F. DOENGES Lava-a HANDLE FOR sun Lo'cxs Filed Jul 7, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 in l Patented Nov. 3, 1925 UNITED STATES WILLIAM FRED DOENGES, or SAN ANTONIC, TEXAS.

LEVER HANDLE FOR SAFE LOCKS.

Application filed July 7, 1923. Serial No. 650,040.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TILLIAM FRED DonNcns, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lever Handles for Safe Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to locks for vaults and safes, and the main object of the invention is to provide a latch connection between the operating shaft for the locking bolts and the operating handle. The elements of this connection being carried in the handle, are actuated by a key for positively engaging the latch with the operating shaft. Directly the key is removed, the handle swings perfectly free upon the operating shaft and there is no possibility of withdrawing the locking bolts or opening the safe door.

For this purpose the handle hub contains an ordinary barrel or cylinder type lock, by means of which the latch is actuated.

In the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated; and

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a safe door with the lock in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a front end view of the lock;

Figure 3 is an axial section through the same;

Figure 4 is a transverse section along line 44 of Figure 3 with the latches in inoperative position;

Figure 5 is a similar View to 'Figure 4 taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3 with the latches in operating position;

Figure 6 is a section along line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the operating shaft; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a latch and its guide.

In the drawings, reference numeral 10 represents a safe or vault door carrying the operating bolt 11 and the handle hub 12. Upon the square portion 13 of the shaft 11 is mounted the bolt operating member 14 secured in position by means of a nut 15. This nut is preferably grooved in order to receive the coils 16 of a spring that has a pair of sideways extending arms 17 At theouterend of the shaft 11 is furnished adisk-shaped head 19 with a forward handle hub 12 and retained therein by means of a closing plate 23 threaded in the rear end of the hub 12, as best seen in Figure 3. In the narrow groove 24 at the back of the head 19 are furnished ball bearings 25 sustained by theclosing plate 23 and roller bearings 26 engaging between the outer periphery of the head 19 and the bore in the hub '12. Beyond the face of the head 19 in the hub 12 is provided an inner chamber 27into which the forward projection 20 extends. This chamber is filled by a guide ring 28 surrounding the projection 20 which is secured therein by means of a plurality of screws 29. The guide ring 28 is notched as at 30 at diametrically opposite sides, which notches are of the same width as the notches 21 provided in the forward projection 20. In the notches 30 are inserted the latches 31, which are of a height substantially the same as the diflerence of the inner and outer diameter of the ring 28 so that the latches may be entirely concealed therein.

These latches have spring receptacles 32 in which the coil springs 33 are housed, and the outer ends of these receptacles contact with the peripheral wall of the chamber 27 so that in this manner the springs 33 tend continu' ously to press the latches inwardly, and when free the latches will accordingly engage in the notches 21 provided in the forwardly projecting head 20, as seen in Figure 5. In the outer end of the hub 12 is provided a cylindrical bore 34 with a recess 35 extending radially therefrom. In this bore and recess is housed a pin tumbler lock 42 which is of the usual kind made for this purpose and does not form part of the present invention. This lock is furnished with a central barrel in the usual manner adapted to receive the key 36. To this barrel is secured'in any suitable manner, as,'for instance, by a pin 37, a cam 38 which has a substantially oval shape, its greatest dimen sion being identical with the bore 39 of the guide ring 28 and its shortest dimensionbeing less than the distance between the two notches 21 in the forward projection on the disk or head 19. It will now be evident that when the cam 38 stands in the position indicated in Figure 5, it does not engage with the latches 31 and will accordingly permit the latter to enter the notches 21in said projection. When, however, the barreltO is turned by the key 36 about 90 from the position shown in Figure 5, the cam 38 will take the position shown in Figure 4, thereby raising the two latches 31 out of the notches 21 and releasing the hub 12 from-the shaft. 11; lVith the parts in the latter position indicated in Figure e't,the hub 12 may then be turned freely by its handle 41 upon the head 19 and the intermediary roller hearing 26, which .will be in locked position of i the vault door after the key 36 has been removed. 7

. Upon entering the key 36, the tumblers in thecylindrical lock will .beactuated so that the barrel 40 with the cam 38 can be turned about 90 when the latches 31 will drop into their corresponding notches 21 and lock the shaft 11 and hub 12 together. By gripping the handle 41, the hub 12 will now turn, compelling the shaft 11 to rotate with it, and actuate the bolt operating member 14; to withdraw the locking bolts.

In this manner a positive latch connection has been established between the hub 12 and the shaft 11 when the parts are positioned as in Figure 5, while upon withdrawing the key 36, which cannot be done .until the barrel 10.-with the cam'38 has been turned into the position indicated in Figure at, this: permitting the free rotation of the hub 12. upon Elie shaft 11 withoutafiecting the locking olts. l c 5 It will be seen that the door is made of: a front wall or plate and a rear or inner Wall or plate; the parts 14 to 17 lying in the space between such walls and the shaft 11 abutting atits inner end against the inner or rear wall. If asufficient force were applied to the hub to break the shaft off at the groove 18; in the latter, the exposed end of the shaft would not afford a hold to. a wrench or the like and it could therefore not be turned. If the shaftcould be punched inwardly through the door, after being broken, access to the bolt work could be had. However, the inner endof the shaft abuts against the-inner or rear, wall of the door and therefore the broken shaft cannot be driven rearwardly, The purpose of the spring device 16, 17 is to hold the bolt work, (not shown) in its locking position except when the shaft 11 is actuated in the direction to release the bolts. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a barrel' lock, of a hub in which the barrel lock is mounted,

' a cam. secured tosaid barrel and adapted to turn therewith operated by a key, said hub having a cylindrical chamber, a revoluble member in said hub, said revoluble memher having radially directed notches, a plurality of latches adapted to engage in said notches and guiding means in said chamber for said latches, elements tending yieldingly to hold the latches in said notches, said cam being arranged between and engaging with said latches and adapted to raise the same out of the notches on the turning of said barrel by said key. 7 2. The combination with a barrel lock, of a hub in which the barrel lock is mounted, a cam secured tosa-id barrel and adapted to turn therewith operated by a key, said hub having a cylindrical chamber, a revoluble member mounted coaxially with said barrel lock in said hub, said revoluble member having radially directed notches, latches adapted to engage in said notches and guiding means .in said chamber for said latches, elements tending to enter the latches in said notches, said cam engaging with said latches and adapted to raise the same out of the notches on the turning of said barrel by said key, said guiding means including an annular member provided with radial cuts for said latches.

3. The combination with: a barrel lock, of a hub in which the barrel lock is mounted, a; cam Secured to said barrel and adapted to turn therewith operated by a key, said hub having, a cylindrical chamber, a revoluble member mounted coaxially with said barrel lock in said hub, said revoluble. member having radially directed notches, latches adapted to. engage in said notches and guiding means in said chamber for said latches, elements tending to enter the latches insaid notches, said cam engaging with said latches and adapted to raise the same out of the notches on the turning of said barrel by said key, said guiding means including an annular member provided with radial cuts for said latches, and a retaining plug for said revoluble member.

4. The combination with a barrel lock, of a, hub in which the barrel lock is mounted, a cam secured to said barrel and adapted to turn therewith operated by a key, said hub having a cylindrical chamber, a revoluble member mounted coaxially with said barrel lock in said hub, said revoluble member having radially directed notches, latches adapted to engage in said notches and guiding means in said chamber for said latches, elementsv tending to enter the latches in said notches,said cam engaging with said latches and adapted to raise the same out of the notches on the turning of said barrel by said key, said guiding means including an annular member provided with radial cuts for said latches, a retaining plug for said revoluble member, and antifriction bearings between said hub and said revoluble member as well as between the revoluble member and said retaining plu 5. The combination with a barrel lock, of a hub in which the barrel lock is mounted, a cam secured to said barrel and adapted to turn therewith operated by a key, said hub having a cylindrical chamber, a revoluble member mounted coaXially with said barrel lock in said hub, said revoluble member having radially directed notches, latches adapted to engage in said notches and guiding means in said chamber for said latches, elements tending to enter the latches in said notches, said cam engaging with said latches and adapted to raise the same out of the notches on the turning of said barrel by said key, said guiding means including an annular member provided with radial cuts for said latches permitting the complete housing of the latches therein.

6, The combination with a barrel lock, of a hub in which the barrel lock is mounted, a cam secured to said barrel and adapted to turn therewith operated by a key, said hub having a cylindrical chamber, a revoluble member mounted coaxially with said barrel lock in said hub, said revoluble member having radially directed notches, latches adapted to engage in said notches and guiding means in said chamber for said latches, elements tending to enter the latches in said notches, said cam engaging with said latches and adapted to raise the same out of the notches on the turning of said barrel by said key, said guiding means including an annular member provided with radial cuts for said latches permitting the complete housing of the latches therein, said elements including a thimble slidably mounted in said latches and coil springs inserted in said thimbles.

7. The combination with a barrel lock, of a hub in which the barrel lock is mounted, a key for turning the barrel lock in said hub, a cam secured to said barrel and revoluble therewith, said hub having a cylindrical chamber, a revoluble member mounted in said chamber and provided with radially directed notches, latches adapted to engage in said notches and guiding means in said chamber for said latches, elements tending to enter the. latches in said notches, said 'Zllll engaging with said latches and adapted to raise the same out of the notches on the turning of said barrel by said key, retaining means in said barrel for said revoluble member, and an antifriction bearing between said revoluble member and said retaining means.

8. The combination with a barrel lock, of a hub in which the barrel lock is mounted, a key for turning the barrel lock in said hub, a cam secured to said barrel and revoluble therewith, said hub having a cylindrical chamber, a revoluble member mounted in said chamber and provided with radially directed notches, latches adapted to engage in said notches and guiding means in said chamber for said latches, elements tending to enter the latches in said notches, said cam engaging with said latches and adapted to raise the same out of the notches on the turning of said barrel by said key, retaining means in said barrel for said revoluble member, and antifriction means between said hub' and said revoluble member.

9. The combination with a barrel lock, of

a hub in which the barrel lock is mounted,

a key for turning the barrel lock in said hub, a cam secured to said barrel and rev oluble therewith, said hub having a cylindrical chamber, a revoluble member mounted in said chamber and provided with radially directed notches, latches adapted to engage in said notches and guiding means in said chamber for said latches, elements tending to enter the latches in said notches, said cam engaging with said latches and adapted to raise the same out of the notches on the turning of said barrel by said key, retaining means in said barrel for said revoluble member, ball bearings inserted between said revoluble member and said retaining means, and roller bearings inserted between said revoluble member and said hub.

10. The combination with a double-Walled door, of a bolt-actuating shaft abutting against the inner wall and extending through the outer wall, of a handle enclosing the outer end of said shaft and rotatable on said shaft, and key-controlled means in said handle for locking the same to the shaft.

11. The combination with a hub of a barrel lock mounted at the axis of said hub, a cam secured to said barrel and adapted to turn therewith, a rotatable member ex tending into said hub and being co-axial with said lock, mechanism tending constantly to lock said member to said hub, and means controlled by said cam for releasing the aforesaid means.

In testimony whereof I tUTlX my signature.

WILLIAM F. DOENGES. [L -1- 

